5 ways to beat a pickpocket
Pickpockets have it pretty easy—they have honed their skills on countless victims, and don’t need to change their methods much; they just practice until they are perfect. Be aware of your surrounding and follow these tips to stay safe and to stay in possession of your belongings, valuables and cash. All you can do is be prepared, be alert and be practical. With these tips you will learn five ways to beat a pickpocket at their own game.
Stay Alert
Be cognizant of your location, and whether you are in a crowded location or not. When you are walking through a crowd of people, there will be a lot of physical contact and bumping as you go. This is the perfect spot for pickpockets to operate because your focus is split between a lot of different people and places instead of on your pockets and your belongings.
Going along with that idea, be sure you are walking with a purpose as you travel. Many tourists will slow down and linger to take in the sights. While it’s generally enjoyable, meandering makes you stand out to pickpockets. Take the time before leaving a safe area to check your surroundings, figure out your directions and travel with a purpose. It gives the impression that you are confident and well—aware of your surroundings.
Stash Your Stuff
Keep all of your excess documents, cards and cash in your hotel room so the things you are carrying are just the essentials. Be aware of where you are staying though, if your hotel room offers the use of a safe, don’t be afraid to use it. Choose a unique password you can remember, and stash all your valuables in the safe while you are out for the day or night.
Wear a Money Belt
Never keep anything important in any outside pockets of your jacket, purse, bag, suitcase, etc. Instead, use inside pockets of jackets, or purchase a money belt that is specifically designed to be hard to reach. A money belt goes under your clothes, stays on your body and stays out of sight and out of reach at all times. Whenever you need to access the information or currency in the money belt, be sure to do so in a private spot like a changing room or a bathroom stall.
Don’t Flash Your Cash
Don’t expose your wallet’s location. After you have purchased something, be sure to put your wallet away quickly and while you are still at the counter. If you are messing with it, and putting it away as you walk out of the store, you are broadcasting your wallet’s location to anyone looking for an easy target, and presenting them with a quick and easy snatch-and-run opportunity.
Keep Your Things Close
If you are wearing a purse, carry it so the openings are against your body and the zipper compartments are close underarm instead of loose and by your waist. You will be able to feel contact much easier when the openings are touching you rather than facing outward. In addition, if you stop to eat, never hang your bag on the back of a chair—it will become easy pickings for people who have their eye on your belongings.
Similarly, men should never keep their wallets in their back pockets—even if it has a button. This is the easiest place for people to get into without being noticed. If you insist on using a visible outside pocket, men should use their front pockets to store their wallet. It is much more difficult for a thief to remove a wallet from a front pocket without being noticed.
Combine your instincts with a little common sense and buy a travel insurance plan from YouGo Travel Insurance to avoid being the victim in a pickpocketing scheme. With insurance from youGo, you can travel without stress or worry.